Ice-cream freezer.



L. S. PFOUTS.

ICE CREAM FREEZER.

APPLICATION IILED NOV. 8. 1906.

1,1 1 6, 1 1 O. Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

flwwento-o LEROY 5. PFouTs Elite: 01 m L. S. PPOUTS.

ICE CREAM FREEZER.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV.8,1906.

Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

LEROY C5. FFouTs Wihwoula m LEROY S. PFOUTS, 0F CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOB TO THE MILLER PASTEURIZING MACHINE COMPANY, OF CANTON, OHIO, A. CORPORATION OF NEWJERSEY.

ICE-CREAM FREEZER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov.- 3, 1914.

To all whom it. may concern Be it known that I, LEROY S. Prou'rs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canton, in. the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented 'new and useful Improvements in Ice-Cream Freezers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to animprovement in ice cream freezers.

It pertains particularly to mechanism for agitating, whipping, and automatically discharging from the freezing cylinder of the machine, the material which is being treated therein.

Figure 1 is a view partlyin side elevation and partly in section of an ice cream freezer embodying myv improvements. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the agitating, whipping and propelling mechanism removed from the freezing cylinder. .Fig. 3 is a perspective view partly in'section of a portion of the freezer. Fig. 4.- is a perspective view of the clutch controlling cap or device for the agitating, whipping and propelling mechanism detached. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view showing the front end construction of the freezer.

In the drawing, 1 indicates a suitable frame. From the top of this frame there rises a transversely arranged cylinder support 2. 3 is a forwardly projecting ledge? carried by said frame and having near its front end an upwardly extending transversely arranged flange 4.

5 indicates as an entirety a cylinder preferably of sheet metal, and surrounding a material freezing chamber 6. I prefer that this cylinder should be horizontally disposed, though it is not essential to my invention that it should be. 7 is a head or end for the rear end of said freezing cylinder and secured thereto in any suitable manner: Near its bottom this head carries a rearwardly extending transversely arranged lug or flange 7' which is adapted to rest upon the top of the upright or support 2, and to be secured thereto by a bolt 7. The head 7 has an axially disposed hole 7 extending through it for a purpose to be hereinafter described. Near its front end the freezing cylinder has fitted over and secured to it a ring or annular plate 8 having a rearwardly extending annular flange 8, forwardly extending annular flange 8,

and. a downwardly extending projection 8" adapted to be clamped to the flange 4 at the a front end of the frame by means of bolts 9 or in any other suitable manner.

I prefer to surround the freezing cylinder 5 with a brine circulating conduit. This conduit may be formed in any suitable manner. In the drawings I show a spirallycorrugated cylinder 10 snugly fitted overthe cylinder 5 in such manner that the outer wall of the cylinder 5 forms one wall of ,a spiral brine passage 11, the other walls of which are formed by the corrugated cylinder 10. 12 is an inlet for brine to said brine coil and 12. is a suitable outlet for the brine from the coil. It will be noted that during its course of travel through the machine the brine flows in'immediate engagement with the outer surface of the thin wall of the freezing cylinder 5 so as to cause a most efficient transfer of heat.

A suitable casing 13 is formed around the corrugated cylinder 10 and there may be an air space 14, as shown, to form an insulating jacket around the latter, or some suitable insulating material may be interposed between the outer wall of the said corrugated cylinder and the innerwall of the casing 13.

The forwardly extending collar 8 at the front end of the machine is preferably externally screw-threaded as indicated at 8 to receive a readily detachable internally threaded head 15 for the front end of the cylinder.

15 is a passageway or material discharge opening through the head 15 at a point which is at the bottom of the freezing cylinder and inline with the bottom wall thereof when the head is in working position.

. 15 is an axially bored, externally screw threaded boss extending forward from the center of said head for a purpose to be hereinafter described. Diagonally opposite from the said opening 15' is a material inlet hopper or funnel 153, preferably formed integral with the head end and having a material inlet passageway l5 leading through it from a point adjacent to the-periphery of the head and opening on the inner face thereof at a point near its center.

16 is a pivotally mounted cut-oil' valve or plate for controlling the discharge of matcrial from the freezing cylinder.

17 is a tank of any suitable form of construction supported above the freezing cyll inder and adapted to carry in fluid form a mixture to be introduced into the freezipg cylinder to be treated. At the bottom of its front-end this tank has extending from it a spigot or valve 17 arranged to direct the said material into the mouth of the funnel 15 18 indicates as an entirety, the mechanism placed within the freezing cylinder for agitating ;whipping, andpropelling the material to discharge it from the cylinder and scrapingblades for scraping the walls of the freezing chamber and preventing the solidifying or congealing of material thereon. Preferably this mechanism comprises a pair of spiral twisted whipping, agitating, and material-propelling blades 19, each at its rear end secured to or formed integral vwith a radiallyprojecting arm 19 carried by an end-piece or head 20; and each at its front end secured to or formed integral with a radial arni 19 extending radially from an endpiece or head 21. 22 are longitudinally disposed scraper blades, each pivotally mounted at either end to the outer end of a radially extending arm 23 carried by both the end-pieces 20 and 21 of this whipping, agitating and material-propelling mechanisin. y

20 is a journal secured to or formed in tegral with the end-piece 20 and extending rearwardly therefrom. At its rear end it has a squaresocket 20 for a purpose to be later described, andin front of this socket it is axially recessed or bored out as indicated at 20 to form a bearing for the rear end of an axially disposed longitudinally arranged beater shaft 24, the front end of which extends through an axial opening 21 in the front dasher end 21 and thence through the alined opening 15 extending through the front detachable head 15 of the cylinder and the forwardly extending screw threaded boss 15* thereon. At its extreme front end this shaft 24 is substantially rectangularly shaped as indicated at 24:; 24? are splines or keys projecting laterally from the shaft 24; near its front end and each adapted to enter a corresponding groove or key-way 21 in the front end 21 of the whipping, beating and material-propol-ling frame 18 25 is a coiled spring interposed between the rear end of the shaft 24: and the end wall of the recess 20 in the journal 20, thisspring serving to normally force the said shaft forward so as to cause the splines or keys 24: thereon to enter the key-ways or grooves 21 in the head 21.

26 is a cap having laterally extending hand grips 26. This cap is interiorly screw threaded to fit upon the screw threaded boss on the front detachable end of the freezer and has a substantially rectangu- Q t is no larly shaped recess or socket 26 in the inner face of its end wall adapted to receive the substantially rectangularly shaped front end 24 of the shaft 24.

27 are radially disposed beater blades arranged in longitudinal series along the shaft 2% with which they may be integrally formed, these radially arranged beating and agitating blades preferably being spirally disposed along said shaft in such manner as to tend, when rotatingf to force the material with which they engage toward the discharge end of the freezing cylinder.

28 represents a gear boa: suitably secured upon the rear end of the frame 1 and having a detachable cover 28. 29 is a transversely arranged power driven shaft suitably mounted in hearings in the said box 28 andreceiving its power from a belt pulley 30 which may be belted to any suitable source of power.

3i is a longitudinallydisposed shaft having its axis in alinernent with the axis of the freezing cylinder 5 and suitably mounted'near either end in bearings 28 in the said bearing box.

32 is a spiral gear rigidly secured to the shaft 29 and in mesh with the spiral gear 3?:- rigidly secured to the shaft 31. The front end of the shaft 31 is squared as indicated at 31 to fit into the socket 20 in the journal 20 of the agitating, whipping, materialpropelling frame 18,

i in operation a charge of material to be frozen is introducedtinto the freezing cham-v ber 6 through" the material. inlet 15 at the front end of the cylinder. llhe cap 26 is screwed upon the boss 15* until it has engaged the front end 24 of the shaft 2t carrying the inner set of heaters, agitators and material propellers and has forced the said shaft rearwardly against the pressure of the spring 25 until the keys or splines 24? are entirely out of engagement with the walls of their corresponding. grooves or recesses 21 in the end 21 of the outer ma- 'terial-agitating, whipping and propelling devices. The brine or other cooling medium is then caused to flow through the spiral passageway about the freezing cylinder and power is applied through the belt pulley30 to'rotate the shaft 22 and the journal 20.

. The radially disposed blades 27 on the shaft 24; are held stationary when the cap '26 is in its rearniost position on the boss 15 since the shaft 24 is then unclutched from the end-piece2l and is held from rotating by the engagement of its rectangularly "shaped front end with the-walls of the re- I dose 26 in said cap. llhe outer part of the agitating, whipping and material-propel- 7 ling mechanism alone will rotate with the shaft 31 under theserconditions. This being' the case the outer rotating blades will throw the material against the inner now and outer parts of such a mechanism in 0 stationary ones and it will be constantly broken up, whipped up, and beaten up, the inner radially disposed blades really tending to check the travel of the material inthedirection in which it is impelled by the outer longitudinally disposed ones. As soon as the material within the freezing cylinder has reached thepoint at which it is desirable to have it discharged from the cylinder, the operator unscrews the cap 26, and the spring 25 forces forward the shaft 24 until the elements of the clutch between it and the end 21 of the whipping, beating and material-propelling mechanism are in engagement with each other. When the parts are in this relation to each other the inner radially disposed beating, Whipping and material-propelling blades 27 and the outer longitudinally disposed ones 19 will rotate together in the same direction and both will tend to advance the material within the cylinder toward the discharge end thereof. The gate or valve 16 is then thrown open and the material is forced out throu h the discharge opening 15'. Practically t e entire charge of material will be automatically discharged from the cylinder by the mechanism herein shown.

I am aware of the fact that it has heretofore been proposed to provide in a freezing cylinder of an ice cream freezer mechanism for agitating, whippin and propelling material within the cylin er, comprising inner radiall arranged spirally disposed blades and outer longitudinally disposed spirally twisted blades, both of which were arranged to rotate in the same direction and that it has also been proposed to provide agitating,

Whipping and material-propelling mechanism for ice cream freezer, cylinders, comprising inner radially arranged spirally disposed blades and an outer longitudmally arranged spirally twisted blade arranged to rotate in opposite directions; I

In attemptmgto avoid the necessity of double drive gearing for rotating the inner 0- site directions I have found that where b th the inner and outer parts are all'caused to rotate in. one direction, a sort'of churning motion is set up within the freezing cham her and the material therein is not whipped up or aerated, or as thoroughly beaten as is essential for producing a smooth product and a relatively large yield for a -ven quantity of material introduced into t e cylinder. And by holding the inner part of my whipping, beating and material-propelling mec anism stationary while rotating the outer part during the freezing operation, I find that the material to be frozen is much more thoroughly whipped, beaten, mixed and aerated than where the inner and outer (parts.

are allowed to rotate to ether-in one rectlon. However, I have ound it essential to the complete and thoroughly satisfactory nected with or disconnected from the power driven parts and besides this have devised means for holding the said inner parts stationary when they are disconnected from the power driven parts.

It is not essential to the spirit of my invention that the freezing cylinder should be horizontally disposed, as the material-agitating, whipping and propelling arts will operate precisely the same when t e freezer is on end as when it is disposed horizontally. Nor need the blades necessarily be spirall twisted so long as they are mounted in suc manner as to tend to cause the material engaged by them to move toward the discharge end of the cylinder.

It. will be noted that the inner and outer parts of the material agitating device and the power transmitting mechanism for rotating said parts are so correlated that, at the will of the operator, the materialto be treated within the cylinder may be subjected 'to greater or less agitation. If the utmost agitation of which the device is capable is desired, the operator unscrews the clutch operating cap 26 until the inner art of the material a itating device is clutc led, or connected wit the ower transmitting mechanism through tlie instrumentality of the keys 24 and key ways 21". Should it be desirable for any reason to have the material less' severely agitated, the operator screws up on'the ca 26, so as to cause it to engage with the en 24' 0f the inner part of the material agitating device and to force this part of the device rearwardly until it is unclutched from its rotating means.

I disclaim: the combination 'for an ice cream freezer of an inner cylinder havin a head closing one end thereof, an outer cylin- .der surrounding said inner cylinder, means forming a tortuous passageway between the cylinders, one wall of said passageway being constituted'by the outer wall of said inner cylinder, a ring closing the annular space between the cylinders at their opposite ends from said head, and a cylinder ead carried by said ring and removable therefrom at will; believin the same to be the invention of John C. M ler, formerly of Canton, Ohio. I also believe the said John C. Miller to be the first inventor of the foregoing subject matter "which is disclaimed by me, when embodied in an apparatus in which a helically eat. as

grooved metal cylinder surrounds the inner cylinder and forms with itia tortuous passageway for the cooling medium,

I claim l. in an ice cream freezer, the combination with a freezing chamber, having a valved discharge opening at one end thereof, of a rotatable material-agitating and ejecting device arranged within said cylinder and comprising inner and outer partaineans for rotating said parts, and means for holding one of said parts stationary within the said freezing chamber at will,

'2. in an ice cream freezer, the combination with a stationary freezing cylinder having a material-discharge opening at one end thereof, of a rotatable material-agitating. device arranged within said cylinder and comprisi inner and outer parts, the outer part being arranged to move material toward and eject it through said discharge opening, means for rotating the parts of said materialagitating device, and. means for holding (me of said parts stationary within said freezing cylinder at will,

3. in an ice cream freezer, the-combination with a stationary freezing cylinder having a material discharge opening at one end thereof, of a rotatable material-agitating and propelling device arranged within said cylinder and comprising inner and outer "rota-V table parts, each one of which is adapted to move material toward said discharge opening, means for rotating said parts, and means for holding one of said parts stationary within the said freezing cylinder at will,

4-. in an ice cream freezer, thecombina tion with a suitable freezing chamber, of a material-agitating and ejecting device arranged therein and comprising inner and outer rotatable parts, means for rotating said parts together in the same direction, and means for holding the inner one of said parts stationary within said chamber at will.

5. in an ice cream freezer, the combination with a suitable freezing chamber, of a materiahagitating and propelling device arranged therein and comprisinginnerand outer spirally disposed rotatable partameans forrotating said-parts together in the same direction, and means for holding the'inner one of said parts stationary within said chamber at will.

6; in an ice cream freezer, the combination with a suitable freezing chamber, of a material agitating and propelling device comprising inner and outer rotatable parts, means for rotating said parts together in the same direction, and means for disconnecting said inner part from said rotating means at will and allowing the, said outer part .to rotate within said chamberand aroundthe inner one y l, in van ice cream freezer, the combine tionwith a suitable freezing chamber havi iotic ing a ma'mrial discharge opening. at one end thereof, of a materialagitating and propelling device comprising inner and outer rotatable parts, the said outer part being arranged to move material toward and eject it through said discharge opening, means for rotating said parts together in the same direction, means for disconnecting said innor part from said rotating means at will and allowing the said outer part to rotate within said chamber and around the inner one, and means for holding the inner part stationary within the said chamber while it is disconnected from said rotating means 8. in an ice cream freezer, the combinatlon with a freezing cylinder of a materialagitating and propelling device arranged therein and comprising inner and outer rotatable parts, and means for rotating said parts including a clutch for connecting the inner one of said parts to or disconnecting it from its driving means while permit.

ting the outer one of said parts to rotate about the said inner one, i p I 9 in an ice cream freezer, the combination. with a freezing cylinder of a materialagitating and propelling device arranged therein and comprising inner and outer rotata'ble parts, means for rotating said parts including a clutch for connecting the inner one of said parts to or disconnecting it from its driving means while permitting the outer one of said parts to rotate about the said inner one, and means for holding the inner one of said parts stationary when it is unclutc'hed from its driving means. a

10. lln an ice cream freezer, the combination with a freezing cylinder, having a material discharge opening at one end thereof, of a material-agitating and propelling device arranged therein and comprising an inner part having material engaging'blades,.

and an outer part having material engaging blades-adapted to beat the material, propel it toward and eject it through said discharge openin and means for rotating said parts including a clutch for connecting the inner one of said parts to and disconnecting it from its driving means while the enter one of said. parts rotates about the said-inner one.

ward saiddischarge opening, means for ro-' tating said vparts including a clutch for connecting the inner one of said parts to or disconnecting it from its driving means while permitting the outer one to rotate,

around the inner one,vvithin the cylinder,

ll, in an ice cream freezer, the combina 1 and ineans for holding the said inner part stationary when it is unclutched from its driving means.

12. In an ice cream freezer, the combination with a freezing cylinder having a valved material discharge opening at one end thereof, of a rotatable material agi tating device arranged Within said cylinder and comprising inner and outer parts, the outer part being arranged to move material toward and eject it through said material discharge opening, means for rotating the parts of said material agitating device, and means for holding at will one of said parts stationary within said freezing cylinder while the other one rotates.

13. In an ice cream freezer, the combination with a stationary freezing cylinder, horizontally disposed and having heads at opposite ends thereof, one of which is provided with a material discharge opening and a discharge valve therefor, of material agitating and ejecting mechanism arranged within said cylinder, supported by the end walls thereof, and comprising an inner part having a series of radially disposed mate rial engagin blades, and an outer part having longitudlnally disposed material engaging means adapted when in operation to beat the material, propel it toward andeject it through said discharge opening, and means for operating the parts of said material agitating and ejecting mechanism, including a clutch for connecting said inner part to and disconnecting it from said rotating means.

14:. In an' ice cream freezer, the combination with a stationary, horizontally disposed freezing cylinder, having heads at either end thereof, one of which is provided with a discharge opening and a discharge valve therefor, of material agitating and ejecting mechanism arranged within said cylinder and comprising lnner and outer parts rotatably supported in said cylinder heads, and power transmitting mechanism for rotating said parts, including a clutch for connecting said-inner part to and disconnecting it from said power transmitting mechanism at will during the operation of the freezer while permitting the outer one of said parts to rotate about the said inner one.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEROY S. PFOUTS. Witnesses:

J. A. Jnrrnns, SYLVIA BORDN. 

